Tag Archives: The Watch

Obasanjo Begged AD Govs for 3rd Term —Osoba’s “Watch the Watcher”

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As comments and reactions were still trailing the publication of an autobiography of former Nigerian President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo entitled, “My Watch” from well meaning Nigerians, former governor of Ogun State, Chief Olusegun Osoba faulted claims made by the former President of not nurturing a Third Term agenda, saying that he (Obasanjo) actually canvassed for it.

Osoba was chairman at the launch of a book titled: ‘Watch the watcher: A book of remembrance of the Obasanjo years’ by Yinka Odumakin’.

He explained that while Obasanjo begged the leadership of the moribund Alliance for Democracy, AD, to support his tenure elongation plan, Osoba accused the former president of allegedly rigging out Alliance for Democracy governors in the 2003 governorship elections.

The former governor also disagreed with some aspects of the book ‘My Watch’ authored by Obasanjo saying he (Obasanjo) approached leadership of the AD to solicit for their support in 2003.

His words: “The Watcher (Obasanjo) wrote a book which Wole Soyinka has given his verdict. I am also going to give my verdict when I write my book. That he (Obasanjo) does not know about the pact with the AD governors is far from the fact. To correct him, it was July 2002, he (Obasanjo) came to the graduation at UNILAG, where we met at the office of the old Head of State. It was there that he almost went on his knees that we, the AD governors, should support his Second Term ambition.

“We (AD governors) told him that we were not the founding fathers of AD. We told Abraham Adesanya but he said he would never go to Abuja. He later agreed that he would meet us at the presidential lodge. Abraham Adesanya never met him at Abuja but at the slightest notice Obasanjo came to Abuja. Adesanya told him (Obasanjo) that he heard he was going to ambush us (AD governors). Present that day was Bishop Gbonigi, the Awujale and Cornelius.”

Osoba, who has since decamped from the All Progressives Congress, APC, to the Social Democratic Party, SDP, explained that “I am shocked and surprised that he wrote in his book that he knew nothing about the Third Term Agenda which he said God would have given him if he had asked.”

Commenting on the book (Watch the watcher) he said: “It is an event to put the records straight. Many aspects of the book written by President Olusegun Obasanjo need correction. He was at the centre of all the negotiations to broker a political agreement between Alliance for Democracy and the Peoples Democratic Party in 2003. For him to say he knew nothing about it, I totally disagree with him because the final meeting with him was attended by highly placed Nigerians, a highly placed royal father, the Awujale, Pa Adesanya, Bishop Gbonigi, Bishop Ladigbolu, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, all the governors and a host of others.”

Speaking further, he said “for him (Obasanjo) to say that he knew nothing about the arrangement between AD for which he aborted and rigged the election is totally incorrect. The book he wrote, is too voluminous, I don’t want to comment on other aspects because it is a very heavy book to read.”

Credit: www.vanguardngr.com

Obasanjo Appeals Against Book Seizure Order

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Former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has appealed against the order given by a Federal Capital Territory High Court judge, Justice Valentine Ashi, that security agents, including the police and men of the Department of State Service, should confiscate his latest autobiography, My Watch.

The judge had given this order after the ex-president went ahead on Tuesday in Lagos to present the book to the public, in disobedience to the court’s restraining injunction. The Justice also gave the former president a 21-day ultimatum to explain why he should not be punished for flouting the court order.

However, Obasanjo, in his appeal, argued that he was in no way “daring the court” as widely reported by some national newspapers, describing such publication as misleading.

The Chairman, Mobilisation and Organisation Committee, the Peoples Democratic Party, South West, Mr. Buruji Kashamu, had instituted a legal action against some sections of the book. Obasanjo had, through his legal team, led by Gboyega Oyewole, filed an appeal challenging the confiscation order, citing 10 grounds to support the appeal and arguing that the trial judge erred in his ruling.

In the appeal with suit no. CV/472/14, filed in a Federal High Court, Abuja, a copy of which was made available to journalists in Abeokuta, the former president’s counsel contended that his client was dissatisfied with the ruling of the High Court and “appealed against the said ruling upon the ground set forth…”

He said, “The learned trial judge erred in law when he granted the interlocutory order of injunction, which inter alia restrained the defendant from the publication of his book “My Watch” or the content of the letter to the President, which is the subject of the suit before the trial judge in the said book. There was uncontradicted affidavit evidence that the defendant’s book, “My Watch” had been published and released to the public before the making of the interlocutory order. The plaintiff never alluded to this fact in his affidavit before the court. It is settled law that an injunction does not lie to restrain a completed act. His Lordship failed and/or neglected to allude to the affidavit evidence before making the interlocutory order. The learned trial judge erred in law and exercised his discretion wrongfully in granting the order of interlocutory injunction, subject of this appeal against the defendant, restraining him from publishing his book, “My Watch” or publishing his letter subject of the suit in the said book.”

Credit: Punch Nigeria

There Are Five Presidents In Nigeria, Says Obasanjo

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Extracts from the autobiography of Obasanjo, The Watch, insinuates that Dame Patience Jonathan, Madueke Allison-Diezani, Stella Oduah and Okonjo-Iweala are the most powerful women in Nigeria.

Obasanjo wrote that there are five presidents in Nigeria, which include the above mentioned four women and Jonathan is the weakest of them all.

Obasanjo writes that “It was the same elder statesman who reportedly tried to jolt the president into action by telling him that there were five presidents in Nigeria, and these were his wife the first lady, Diezani (Alison-Madueke), Stella (Oduah), Ngozi (Okonjo-Iweala) and the president himself, and that he was the weakest of the five.